Preserving your sperm at The Fertility Home gives you the power to protect your fertility and take control of your family planning journey, ensuring you’re ready to start your family when the time is right for you
What are the reasons for sperm freezing?
There are various reasons why men may opt to freeze their sperm. It could be as simple as finding peace of mind in having a sample securely stored, or it could be due to upcoming medical treatments or procedures that may affect fertility. Additionally, transgender individuals may seek to preserve a sperm sample before starting hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries. Regardless of the reason, sperm freezing offers a simple and reliable method to protect fertility for the future.
How does sperm freezing work?
Sperm freezing is typically a straightforward process. Our consultants usually recommend starting with a semen analysis to ensure the sperm being frozen is of high quality. If necessary, lifestyle adjustments may be suggested to enhance sperm quality before repeating the test at a later stage.
When you’re ready to provide a sample for freezing, you should abstain from ejaculation for two to five days before visiting the clinic. Once your sample is examined by our embryologist it will be separated appropriately and stored for future use in liquid nitrogen. If needed, multiple samples can be collected to ensure an adequate amount of sperm is safely frozen.
Your frozen sample can remain preserved for up to 55 years, provided you complete the HFEA consent forms every ten years. Should you decide to use your frozen sample in the future, it will be thawed and prepared for use in various fertility treatments, including IVF and IUI, if it is of suitable quality.
Getting to Know More Sperm Freezing
Before undergoing sperm freezing, it’s essential to follow a customised treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Your consultant may prescribe medication or vitamins to optimise sperm quality and quantity. Additionally, our healthcare team will provide guidance on lifestyle adjustments to maximize the success of the procedure
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial in the lead-up to sperm freezing. Minimizing stress and abstaining from habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can positively impact sperm health and overall fertility.
A typical sperm freezing cycle at our facility spans around four weeks, although this timeframe may vary depending on individual factors such as sperm quality and quantity. Some individuals may require multiple freezing cycles to achieve the desired sperm numbers.
While sperm freezing is generally suitable for most patients, individual circumstances vary. Factors such as age, underlying health conditions, and fertility goals play a role in determining the suitability of sperm freezing. Your consultant will conduct a thorough assessment to determine if sperm freezing is the right option for you.
Sperm freezing, is a valuable fertility preservation technique that allows patients to store their sperm for future use, offering a way to safeguard reproductive potential for various personal and medical reasons. Sperm storage is utilised for several key reasons, which include:
- Sperm Banking: The preservation of donated sperm for future use.
- Infertility Treatment Assistance: Couples undergoing infertility treatments might opt for sperm storage as a contingency plan. This is particularly useful if the male partner experiences difficulty ejaculating on demand, or has poor quality sperm results, risking the inability to provide a sufficient sample on the day of egg retrieval.
- Surgical Extraction Storage: Storing sperm retrieved through surgical methods, such as from the epididymis (PESA) or directly from the testes (TESA).
- Pre-Vasectomy: Men may choose to store sperm before undergoing a vasectomy procedure.
- Cancer Treatment Precaution: Prior to undergoing treatments like chemotherapy, which might affect fertility, sperm storage is recommended.
- Pre-deployment Freezing/Military: Considered a proactive and reassuring step for military personnel, ensuring the possibility of biological parenthood.
- Trans Patients: Future fertility may be something a patient is considering as a transgender person. Hormone therapy or surgery can have a temporary or permanent impact on fertility.
Sperm freezing is generally considered a safe treatment, although, like any medical procedure, there are associated risks. For comprehensive information about potential risks, you can refer to the HFEA website. During your consultation, your consultant will discuss these risks in detail to ensure you make an informed decision.
Once your sperm is frozen, it can be stored for up to 55 years, however regular HFEA consent renewals will be required depending on storage regulations.
When you’re ready to use your frozen sperm, it will be thawed and prepared for treatment. Depending on its quality you may have access to various assisted reproductive technologies, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) to facilitate conception.
The cost of sperm freezing can vary depending on factors such as storage duration and additional services required. You can find detailed information about costs on our Pricing page or by consulting with our team member.
Start your Sperm Freezing
Ready to take control of your fertility? Book your sperm freezing consultation today. Our expert team will guide you through the process, answer your questions, and help you make informed decisions about preserving your reproductive future. Contact us to schedule your appointment. Your future starts now.